DJ OZMA - Shippu Jinrai ~Inochi Bom-Ba-Ye~

DJ OZMA is the alter-ego of Kishidan front-man Ayanokouji Sho. He has shed his delinquent school uniform and hair and in its place has grown a giant blond afro. Shippu Jinrai is the first single after a New Years controversy and a risqué performance at the NHK Kouhaku Utagassen.

Shippu Jinrai starts off in grand style with chanting that quickly becomes an addictive dance/funk/disco number that blends a huge range of musical styles into a bizarre audio experience. Meanwhile DJ OZMA sing/raps aggressively over the top. It's not the finest rapping ability you will ever hear, but that presumes that OZMA may be making serious music. DJ OZMA is fun, with a wicked sense of humour and an ability to make great singalong anthems, of which Shippu Jinrai is no different.

ONE NIGHT CARNIVAL is a re-make of an old Kishidan favourite. The expectations are high for this song and while initially a disorientating musical experience, the new ONE NIGHT CARNIVAL grows on you to become something of a rival for the original! The melody is more aggressive and syncopated, resulting in a jumble of brass instruments at the start. The orderly original melody quickly appears through the chaos and the previously sung verses become rapped in DJ OZMA's aggressive style. The chorus is more familiar and ties the song together. It is faster than the original and more bizarre; eventually even the muddle of trumpets becomes addictive.

DJ OZMA offers instrumental tracks to both songs to finish off the single, but apart from use for karaoke, the melodies are not strong enough to listen to alone.

Shippu Jinrai is yet another strong single for the blond-afro'd one and for those who like their rap taken none too seriously, it comes highly recommended.